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pong

pong

108 8.0
A strong, unpleasant smell that makes you wrinkle your nose
  • noun
  • /pɔŋ/
  • UK
translation icon : hedor
  • The pong from the garbage can was so strong that I had to step outside.

Examples

  • Sometimes late at night it sounds like a Ping-Pong game, those tough little shells tock-tocking against the screens.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Forrest and the wounded ping-pong player step toward the ping-pong table.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Yeah, Phleg, this definitely has his pong to it.

  • Through a wall of windows, we can see the cafeteria/lounge area: an ancient Ping-Pong table.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The Ping-Pong table was the one field on which the civil war raged openly.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • After the rain, the pong of wet earth filled the air, reminding me of my childhood.

  • The pong of overcooked fish lingered in the small kitchen for hours.

Synonyms

stink
vspong
111 1.1

A very bad smell that people dislike

is broader, covering any unpleasant or merely strong smell not only offensive ones
stench
vspong
80 3.5

A very bad strong smell that makes you feel sick

is similar but indicates unpleasantness or strength in less extreme way
pungent smell
vspong
1 3.3

A strong sharp smell that makes your eyes water

is about general unpleasant or strong smells rather than sharp piercing ones
niff
vspong
  • UK
1 9.9

An unpleasant strong smell that comes from old or dirty things

is broader, applying to unpleasant or strong smells not tied to staleness
foulness
vspong
1 7.2

A strong, very bad smell from sewage or rotten garbage

is the actual unpleasant or strong smell rather than an abstract quality
whiffy odor
vspong
  • Informal
7.4

A strong, unpleasant smell that people dislike

is a general term for unpleasant or strong smells rather than only noticeable ones

Antonyms

165 1.0

A pleasant smell from things like perfume or flowers

83 2.6

A pleasant sweet smell from flowers or perfume

74 1.6

A pleasant smell that often comes from food, drink, or flowers

Compounds

23 1.1

A game on a table with a net where players hit a small ball with paddles

15 1.6

A game like tennis played on a table using small paddles and a light ball

A small, light, hollow plastic ball used in table tennis

A table for playing table tennis with a net in the middle

aerial ping pong
  • Informal
9.7

A casual game where players hit balloons or flying discs in the air

A simple video game where two players use paddles to hit a ball across the screen

How Smelly

stench
80 3.5
reek
8 6.1
pong
  • UK
108 8.0
odor
  • US
145 1.9
smell
605 1.0

Surface Forms

pong singular
pongs plural

Etymology

The word pong probably comes from an old local word pung and may be a sound-like way to show a smell that 'hits' you suddenly. So a pong is a strong, unpleasant smell that feels like it hits your nose.